The following learners' experiences are taken from the research study by Henning and Van der Westhuizen (2004), of learners engaged in e-learning for the first time. The students were enrolled on an MEd programme through the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), and formed part of a cohort of 33 teachers in 2001. They lived at a considerable distance from the university. The excerpts below are used with the kind permission of the authors.

Two of their stories vividly illustrate the feelings and experiences of these first-time e-learners:

Dhimpo

Dhimpo is a 45 year-old Biology teacher at a high school in a village 40 km from the nearest town. In her first journal entry she reflected:

'Are we in this machine or is it in our heads?' I am wondering because I feel when I click and start that it is sweeping me off my feet. I feel that I am watching a film (movie) but that I am also in it. When I wrote my first discussion posting I was so afraid. Would this get to the others? Will they laugh? What will Prof say? I am still very much mixed up. I feel I have not the same control as before. I type and I read and I am scared to click, because when I do that I feel I am falling down - like I slip and I slide on the wet ground. I will read more. That is also not nice. Hey - when I click and there is this magic page I feel I want to quickly print it - before I lose it!'

Thembi

Thembi lives in a rural village. She decided to take up further studies after more than 20 years of teaching in her local school. She was initially angry when she discovered she was expected to use a computer and access the Internet, but by the end of the course she had softened her views. This is what she said:

'I never thought I could do this. That is why I was so angry at the beginning. Did they not know that I had no electricity? Did they not know that I had no telephone line? Did they not know that I could hardly type? Did they not know how strange this would be? But I was in luck. I met Sipiwe - he held my hand in his and walked with me all the way... First I stayed over in Jo'burg for an extra day when I could because that was the only way I could get to computers. I lived there in the lab for two days - with a tutor trying to help us. I was slow at the beginning. But every time I wanted to cry I looked at Sipiwe. He was so much younger than me and here was this man who is so intelligent and he was helping me and saying, "Gogo [Granny] you can do it. Come again." Even through my tears I could see the difference... I have thought hard and even though I have no computer at home, I can say that I have learnt to get information from all over. And I still don't like it, because I prefer to work from a book or from talking with people or to look at something. But at least I can do it now. And when I am in town and I have a few minutes and also some few cents I go to the Postnet and check my course and I also quickly post something on the discussion board. I only learned the meaning of the word virtual now. It is real but I wish it was not.'

Reflection

  1. Have you ever asked your learners to keep a journal describing their thoughts and feelings as they progress through the course? In what ways do you think such a process could help both you and your students?
  2. In your reflection, you might have thought back to examples where writing about a problem actually helped you to solve it. As a teacher, a journal entry from your learners may give you insights into the difficulties they face that another exercise would not have provided. But will your learners trust you enough to write freely in their journals? 

A further thought: Do you think it might be worth drawing up an agreement with your learners to assure them that their privacy will be protected, and that their writings will only be used for your own research purposes?

References

Henning, E. & Van der Westhuizen, D., 2004. Crossing the digital divide safely and trustingly: how ecologies of learning scaffold the journey. Computers & Education, 42(4), pp. 333-352.